diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 86a2e95..f01291b 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.5.7-dev
+1.5.7
diff --git a/drsm/updates.go b/drsm/updates.go
index e49eaa7..212dbe9 100644
--- a/drsm/updates.go
+++ b/drsm/updates.go
@@ -110,6 +110,12 @@ func (d *Drsm) handleDbUpdates() {
 	}
 }
 
+func (d *Drsm) ensurePodChunksInitialized(podD *podData) {
+	if podD.podChunks == nil {
+		podD.podChunks = make(map[int32]*chunk)
+	}
+}
+
 func iterateChangeStream(d *Drsm, routineCtx context.Context, stream *mongo.ChangeStream) {
 	logger.DrsmLog.Debugf("iterate change stream for podData: %v", d)
 
@@ -154,15 +160,32 @@ func iterateChangeStream(d *Drsm, routineCtx context.Context, stream *mongo.Chan
 				// update on chunkId..
 				// looks like chunk owner getting change
 				owner := s.Update.UpdFields.PodId
+				if owner == "" {
+					logger.DrsmLog.Warnf("stream(Update): missing owner in update for doc %s, operation: %+v", s.DId.Id, s.Update)
+					continue
+				}
 				c := getChunkIdFromDocId(s.DId.Id)
 				d.globalChunkTblMutex.Lock()
 				cp := d.globalChunkTbl[c]
 				d.globalChunkTblMutex.Unlock()
+				if cp == nil {
+					logger.DrsmLog.Warnf("stream(Update): chunk %d not found in global table for owner %s - will be corrected by periodic resync", c, owner)
+					// Without a chunk reference there is nothing to update; skip to avoid panic.
+					// The periodic checkAllChunks() will resync state from MongoDB.
+					continue
+				}
 				// TODO update IP address as well.
 				cp.Owner.PodName = owner
 				cp.Owner.PodIp = s.Update.UpdFields.PodIp
 				cp.Owner.PodInstance = s.Update.UpdFields.PodInstance
-				podD := d.podMap[owner]
+				podD, found := d.podMap[owner]
+				if !found {
+					logger.DrsmLog.Warnf("stream(Update): pod %s not in local map for chunk %d update - will be corrected when keepalive arrives or during periodic resync", owner, c)
+					// Wait for proper pod initialization via keepalive. Eventual consistency will be maintained by periodic resync and proper keepalive events.
+					continue
+				}
+				// Defensive: should never happen if addPod() was called, but prevents panic
+				d.ensurePodChunksInitialized(podD)
 				podD.podChunks[c] = cp // add chunk to pod
 				logger.DrsmLog.Infof("stream(Update): pod to chunk map %v", podD.podChunks)
 			}
@@ -270,7 +293,7 @@ func (d *Drsm) addChunk(full *FullStream) {
 func (d *Drsm) addPod(full *FullStream) *podData {
 	podI := PodId{PodName: full.PodId, PodInstance: full.PodInstance, PodIp: full.PodIp}
 	pod := &podData{PodId: podI}
-	pod.podChunks = make(map[int32]*chunk)
+	d.ensurePodChunksInitialized(pod)
 	d.podMap[full.PodId] = pod
 	logger.DrsmLog.Infof("keepalive insert d.podMaps %v", d.podMap)
 	return pod